Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a South African woman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria.
The agency also intercepted a commercial motorcycle operator, popularly known as an okada rider, who excreted 100 wraps of methamphetamine after his arrest at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
According to the NDLEA, the South African suspect, Ms. Will Jessica Ann, was arrested on July 6 during the inward clearance of passengers on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Abuja.
The agency said the suspect allegedly concealed 14 large blocks of heroin weighing 5.75kg in two suitcases while travelling with her three-year-old son, allegedly using the child as a cover to avoid suspicion and thorough screening.
NDLEA said the suspect initially denied travelling with any checked-in luggage but later admitted ownership after officers matched the baggage claim tags on the bags with those attached to her passport.
The suspect reportedly told investigators she travelled from Cambodia through Doha to Abuja.
The agency said intelligence available to it indicated that she was allegedly linked to a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating between Cambodia and South Africa alongside her husband or partner, identified as Jan Coenraad De Jager.
In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives arrested 48-year-old Onyechere Daniel Chinadu at the arrival hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following his arrival from Madagascar via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
The agency said a search of the suspect’s checked-in backpack led to the recovery of 87 wraps of methamphetamine concealed inside clothing.
According to NDLEA, the suspect told investigators he had worked as an okada rider in the Oke-Afa area of Lagos for about 15 years before he was allegedly recruited into drug trafficking by a friend based in Uganda.
The suspect reportedly said he swallowed additional pellets of methamphetamine in Uganda before embarking on the trip to Madagascar but was denied entry by immigration authorities on arrival.
He said his alleged sponsor subsequently rerouted him to Lagos, where he was arrested by NDLEA operatives.
The agency said the suspect could not state the exact number of pellets he had ingested and was consequently placed under excretion observation for three days.
NDLEA said the suspect excreted 13 additional pellets between the date of his arrest and July 1, bringing the total recovery to 100 wraps of methamphetamine weighing 1.715 kilograms.
The agency said investigations into both cases were ongoing.
